"Bunny punched me!" Jayden shouted loudly.

"No I didn't!" I yelled, running away from there to go hide before Lucian decides to pay a visit to the crime scene.

"Get back here, you little rat!" Jayden reached out to grab the back of my onesie.

A giggle escaped my mouth as I dodged to escape his hand. I ran away quickly, hearing him follow close behind.

Taking a million turns, I accidentally entered a door at last. The living room. Bad decision.

"Ha! You have no escape now, Bunny." Jayden said, smugly. He smirked when I looked around for something to get me out of this ordeal.

I creeped towards the couch and stood behind it, so now it was between me and Jayden. Jayden stepped forward slowly, tauntingly. I grabbed a cushion and threw it at his face.

But before I could make a run for it, he had already thrown it back.

He clicked his tongue thrice when I threw another cushion at him. I ducked when he threw it back, but I wasn't prepared for the slipper that hit my forehead when I stood back up.

This bitch is dead.

Then the chaos actually began. I clenched my jaw, clutching the slipper tight in my hand. He got his other slipper in his hand and glared right back at me.

"You better surrender now, Bunny, before you get the taste of failure," he said, in a heavy voice that almost sounded comical.

"A Verlice doesn't surrender. We fight until the enemy gets so frustrated that they pull their hair out." I scoffed, moving in a circle, matching his movements.

We had swapped positions when we yelled 'Argh' together like pirates and started running towards each other.

Jayden put his hand on the back of the couch and swung his whole body to land on the front of it. He ran towards me, a slipper in one hand and a cushion in the other. I ran towards him with the same weapons and a murderous expression on my face.

"Ow." I whined when we collided and I was the only one who fell backwards. My butt hurts!

"Ha! What a weak little baby," Jayden mocked, throwing the cushion at my face.

I lifted my right hand and threw the slipper at his face, jumping with joy when it hit his forehead.

"You-"

"What a weak little baby," I mocked. His jaw clenched and a glare settled on his face.

A few minutes later.

The slipper I just threw, flew out of the living room door. But I didn't hear it falling down.

Jayden froze, noticing the same.

"Do you think it's still flying?" I asked, from my kneeling position. The armchair had turned over and I was now kneeling on the back of it, that laid horizontally on the floor. The seat part of it was vertical against the floor and before me, shielding me from Jayden and his shots.

I crawled away from the turned over piece of furniture and leaned to my side to look out the door.

The door was far away from me but when I leaned to my side, I could see the hallway.

I froze in fear when I focussed on what the scene in the hallway was. Lucian had his hand extended and the slipper was clutched tightly in his hand. He looked at it for a long moment, then his head started turning slowly.

Oh God no.

It's been fifty minutes since I left his office. Why was the meeting so short?

I scrambled away from there, stumbling when I stood up too quickly.

"What happened?" Jayden asked from his hiding position behind the other big couch.

"Lucian caught the flying slipper," I muttered harshly, jumping behind the couch and forcefully pulling his head down to hide.

One look around the wrecked living room and our death certificate would be signed.

"Stay silent." He elbowed me harshly when I started muttering prayers quickly, praying to have my life spared.

Scary footsteps started sounding, moving closer. They seemed to stop abruptly and a low grumble was heard. It sounded much like 'these kids.'

"I'll count to five and by the time I finish counting, I want you to be out of your hiding spots and thinking of a valid reason as to why you wrecked this room."

I gulped.

"What if we don't?" I whispered, nudging Jayden.

"Grounding for a lifetime, life sentence for the step and chores." He groaned quietly. "It's not worth-"

He stopped when we felt Lucian sit on the couch we were hiding behind.

"One." Came his scary voice saying that in a low tone.

We stayed silent. My heart picked up the pace. I want to get out of our hiding spot but I don't want to face his scary self.

"Two."

Oh God. This feels like our death countdown.

Jayden muttered something under his breath and stood up slowly. Ignoring my racing heart, I started gathering up courage.

I got up slowly, taking a deep breath to calm down. I followed Jayden to slowly stand behind the upturned couch.

Lucian didn't look up once from his phone. He was sitting in the middle of the couch, leaned back, with his left ankle resting on his right knee. His left arm was draped around the back of the couch, as his fingers drummed against the couch while his right hand held his phone in it.

Scary...

I gulped and looked up at Jayden who was also looking wide-eyed at Lucian.

Lucian finished texting and put the phone on the couch, right beside him.

He looked up at us with a pointed look, which resembled a glare, but wasn't a full glare. I looked down immediately and just peeked up now and then, never making eye contact.

Without moving his left arm from the back of the couch, he snapped the fingers of his right hand and pointed to the spot in front of him.

I jumped when he snapped his fingers and instinctively clutched Jayden's shirt sleeve in my fist. Jayden started moving, taking me with him, since I was holding his sleeve.

Somehow, holding his sleeve gave me a lot of courage to not be scared out of my mind. Otherwise I would've passed out.

We stood right before him. I looked down, my eyes fixed on Lucian's black shoes.

His hand rested on his knee, his fingers tapping against it.

"Are you going to explain or should I start speaking now?" Lucian gritted when we stayed silent for too long.

I looked up at Jayden, wondering which was the better option.

My doubts were cleared when he started stammering for an answer.

"She punched me!" He settled with a whine.

My head snapped towards him. My eyes widened and my eyebrows raised.

"Again?" Lucian's scary voice cut through my ears, scaring me into a frozen state.

Jayden nodded his head quickly and that caused me to snap out of my daze.

The first throught that crossed my mind was to punch this bitch as hard as I could.

My head snapped back to face forward and face Lucian. My heart leapt out of my chest when I found him glaring at me.

"I-I can explain," I said, quickly, afraid he won't hear me and immediately announce the punishment.

"I was waiting to hear your side." He tilted his head to the side, looking more intimidating somehow.

I gulped a little and let go of Jayden's sleeve. I curled my finger around his forearm instead and tightened my hold, digging my nails into it.

He hissed and tried to jerk his arm away, while I held onto it like my life depended on it.

"He was annoying me again. Calling me a baby and stuff. See what is written on this onesie," I said that quickly, watching Lucian's expression closely. My heart was still racing.

"Stop this, you little rat!" Jayden said, slapping the back of my hand hard enough to make me loosen my hold on his arm.

"Watch your mouth, Jayden!" Lucian snapped, causing both of us to jump and the 'ow!' I was going to let out to stop in my throat.

I gulped and looked down at the scary shoes again. The shoes that moved to lay flat against the floor as Lucian stood up.

"Get cleaning. You have fifteen minutes." His voice sounded. Jayden grumbled under his breath while I stared wide-eyed at the floor.

"You should know what to say by now," Lucian gritted, as I watched him stuff his hands into his pockets after a moment.

"Yes, Lucian," We muttered quickly. He stood there for a moment, making everything scarier.

After about ten seconds, he started walking away from there, moving towards the door.

I released a sigh of relief when his footsteps retreated and he moved out of the room.

"Bunny?" Jayden called, bending down to look at my face. I peeked a little at him and raised both eyebrows.

"Stop getting too scared," he said, bending down a little more to make direct eye contact. My eyes widened again as I looked up at him completely.

"You were scared too," I said, wondering why he'd say that.

"Yes. But I wasn't too scared. You were having a mini heart attack," he said, standing up straight. A hand on my back pushed me forward and led me over to the couch.

Jayden took a seat where Lucian was seated seconds before and took my hands in his, as I stood between his knees.

This bitch just turned completely around. Bipolar little shit.

"I'm scared because he's naturally scary. But you're terrified because you still think he will do something to hurt you," he stated. I pouted a little.

"That's just natural. I can't help it. He's too scary," I mumbled, looking away.

He did slap Damien.

"Want me to plan a brother-sister bonding date?" He asked. His hand came under my chin, to tilt it up to make me face him again.

I shook my head quickly.

"No! I'll go on that date 'not in trouble' but I'll return 'in trouble'," I said, quickly.

He chuckled.

"Now that's the grumpy Bunny's fault," he said in a baby voice. He pouted at the end and pinched my cheeks.

"Do you need cuddles to not be upset, little Bunny?" He cooed. I tried to back away but he was quick to grab me and pull me in for a hug.

"Let me go," I gritted, pushing at him to get away.

"Nah. Grumpy Bunny needs cuddles to go back to her adorable self," he said, pushing my head against his chest. I struggled to get out of his hold but my struggles were futile.

"Let me go, Bitch," I gritted, directing a punch to his jaw. Before my fist could travel past his neck, he caught it and put it on his chest.

"Heartbeats are comforting, right baby?" He asked, leaning down to place a kiss on my cheek.

"Ew," I grumbled, wiping the kiss away quickly. I faked a gag.

"Aww," Jayden said, taking both of my hands in one and moving his hand to the side of my stomach.

Giggles erupted from my throat as I almost fell down but was saved when he caught me in time.

"Stop," I said between giggles, pushing at his hand on my side.

"Oh? Should I?" He mocked. "The tickle punishment ends only when you say Jayden is the best brother and you love him with all your heart."

"Ew. Never," I said. I kicked my legs to get propelled in the backward direction, hoping to fall down and escape this torture.

"Alright then." With that, he moved his hand to my neck to tickle me there.

The sound of my laughter got louder and louder as I struggled more.

"Kids, I-" The scary voice was cut off.

By what?

"Bitch!"

I wonder who cut Lucian off to curse.

Everything froze. That fact took its time to register in my mind. Jayden's hand hovered above my face as he looked at me wide-eyed and jaw-dropped. His other hand released my hands slowly and fear crossed his features, his expressions mirroring mine.

"Come here."

I don't know who the command was for. But it must be me because I was the one who cursed.

I gulped and got up, watching Jayden lower his arms and look wide-eyed around, like searching for something.

I just took one step when Jayden grabbed my hand, he pulled me back harshly so I landed on the couch beside him with just that one tug.

I looked towards Lucian, panic rising inside me. Lucian had raised an eyebrow as he watched Jayden stand up and step forward.

I watched the scene, frozen in place and Jayden went to stand just before Lucian and muttered something quietly, so I wouldn't hear.

Lucian nodded and stepped back to walk out. Jayden followed him closely and they walked out.

When I released a sigh of relief, Jayden popped his head in through the door.

"Wait for some time. Don't move from your place," he said.

I nodded slowly, still in a daze and shifted to get a little more comfortable.

About three minutes of harsh whispering outside the living door, it went silent again. I gulped when the scary footsteps started approaching.

My gaze lowered when Lucian entered the room. I fiddled with the clipped back paw and prayed Jayden enters now.

Lucian took a seat a fair distance away from me and sat in the same pose he was sitting before.

We sat in silence for a while, during which I just looked down into my lap and fiddled with my fingers.

The silence was unnerving and for some reason, my mind couldn't stop thinking the worst.

"Bunny."

I jumped when Lucian called out suddenly.

"Yes, Lucian?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Come here," he said, extending his arm and crooking his fingers. I hesitated before standing up slowly from my spot.

I took slow steps towards him, unsure of this situation and myself. I didn't curse at him. It shouldn't be a big deal.

I stood before him, shifting my weight from foot to foot and looking down at the floor.

I could feel Lucian looking at my uncertain self.

One part of me believed that he won't hurt me like he hurt Damien. But the other part was still trying to shield itself.

Lucian's hand raised from his knee and my heart raced when I realized he was reaching out for me.

Instinctively, I took a step back when his hand touched the fur on my arm.

Lucian's movements stilled, before his hand lowered, so his elbow rested on his knee. His other hand came forward so his other elbow rested on his other knee too. His hands clutched his head and a sigh of frustration echoed in my ears.

Lucian stayed silent for a moment, which I took to curse myself for stepping back.

"Bunny." He sighed. I looked up to find him lifting his gaze to look at me. "Don't be so scared."

The obvious frustration in his tone made me want to run away and hide.

"I'm sorry," I said.

He sighed again and lifted his elbow from his knee. He extended his hand again and crooked his fingers. Another try.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, not wanting to anger him more.

He grabbed my arm again and pulled me forward so I stood between his knees.

"I'm not angry or being scary," He started, tilting my head up by pushing my chin, enough to make me face him. "I'm simply telling you, as your guardian, that cursing is a bad habit and against the rules of this house. Please work on that and try not to curse."

The hand under my chin lowered when he was done speaking. So did my jaw. My jaw dropped when his words settled in.

And for the first time I maintained eye contact with Lucian for more than four seconds.

All I could see in his eyes was frustration, anger, impatience and helplessness. The last one was something I could never mistake.

That feeling of helplessness was clear on his face and in his eyes.

He raised an eyebrow when I kept staring and didn't say anything. I couldn't find my words, so I closed my mouth, gulped and nodded slowly.

"I'm working from my side, Bunny," he said. "Just so you know."

I nodded again and flinched when a scary warning look crossed his features. He cleared his throat and I understood the warning.

But before I could even open my mouth to say 'yes, Lucian', the look vanished and he sighed in frustration.

"No no. I'm not warning. That was just out of habit," he said, stopping me from speaking. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Can I have a verbal response please?"

I choked on my spit. That made me fall into a coughing fit. I started coughing violently because the surprise hit me so hard I almost fell over.

Lucian got up quickly and rushed to get water from the kitchen. He came back about ten seconds later with a water bottle.

My eyes watered as I couldn't stop coughing. I drank the water quickly, taking my time recovering from the coughing.

"Are you okay?" Lucian asked, rubbing his hand gently on my back, sliding it along my spine.

"Yes." I coughed again and nodded my head.

He was silent as I took deep breaths to calm myself down. Lucian sat beside me, not taking his hand off my back. His fingers skimmed along my spine, moving up and down in a gentle motion.

When I had calmed enough, I noticed I was leaning against him. I tensed up and moved to sit straight again.

"Don't move." Came the command, stopping every movement.

I tried to breath more quietly as Lucian sat still for a moment. The movement of his hand had stopped too.

His arm slid under my knees and the other wrapped around my shoulders, taking me by surprise. He picked me up and set me on his lap, tucking my head under his chin.

I stared wide-eyed at nothing. I don't know who made him do this. But whoever it was, much love to them.

A smile appeared on my face when I felt nothing but love in this embrace. He was actually trying, his words stated that, but this embrace screamed it.

'Maybe he's just acting good to brainwash you like he did to Damien. To make you believe that he wasn't hitting you to hurt you.'

I blinked when the voice said that.

"Bunny."

"Hm?" I asked, fiddling with my thumbs.

"Please don't listen to it," he begged. That would be the perfect word to define the tone he said it in. "Tell me what it's saying for you to go back to where we started. I really want to clear all the doubts."

"It's saying no-" I cut myself off. I was about to lie again and he'd know.

"I don't want to talk about it," I mumbled. His hold tightened a little, causing me to inhale sharply. I forced myself to relax and pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind.

"Okay," he complied. I don't know how many surprises he's going to give me today, but i think I'm going to die from shock.

I shook my head. Getting used to this lucian seems difficult. Both for me and for him. He's going out of his way to be a cuddly human and that seems to be the complete opposite to who he shows he is.

Leaning more towards my brother, I relaxed in his hold, putting my head on his shoulder. That caused his hand to lift to my head and run his fingers through my hair.

I hate my mind for what it's doing. One moment I'm scared out of my mind like Lucian will kill me in the most ruthless way possible and the moment he starts showing the changes he's working on, I automatically accept the love. It's all so confusing.

"I'm tired of this," I muttered, releasing a breath when Lucian transferred some more love through a kiss on my head. That breath sounded more like a sigh of relief.

"It will end soon, Bunny," he reassured. "But please don't shut yourself out. You really need to start communicating."

"But I don't want to say it out loud," I mumbled. Saying it out loud makes it feel more real and true.

"But you have to do it to feel better. Trust me, Bunny. It'll feel a lot better if you talk about it," he said, his voice low in volume.

"What if it doesn't?"